Bakelite Jewellery

Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, patented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Bakelite was produced in a wonderful range of colours and affectionately given names such as “butterscotch” and “Apple Juice”.  However the real value of Bakelite was that it was very easy to work with and could be intricately carved.  Delivered in rods, tubes, blocks and sheets, it was used in a multitude of products.

 After the depression in the United States, the new fun Bakelite jewellery became extremely popular, thanks to their very modest pricing as well as their novelty.  Even Chanel produced Bakelite bracelets set with large stones. However, the plastic’s demise coincided with the United States entering the Second World War as production moved from luxury goods to necessities.  It never recovered.

Bakelite jewellery can fetch very large sums of money,.  Although originally sold as “penny” jewellery, this cheapness also made them disposable and most were thrown away. This means little Bakelite jewellery survives today and that which does is highly sought after,

Recognising Bakelite jewellery is extremely difficult due to the large numbers of copies and forgeries on the market. The only way to tell if a piece is genuine is through knowledge of design and materials.  Things that you should look out for are ; the colours at different times; the depth of colours; the internal texture and the sound as you gently tap the piece with a fingernail.

Bakelite has one other important disadvantage, and that is cracking and chipping.  For all it’s virtues , it is a brittle plastic.  If you drop a Bakelite bangle, it is unlikely to survive.

About the Author

Fiona Johnson is owner of online jewellery store Taylor & Vine and has a wealth of experience buying and selling vintage and contemporary jewellery.

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